For the New or Soon-to-Be Mom: Ain't nobody got time for that!

I can't speak for everyone, but after a year I vaguely remember those first few weeks after coming home with our newest addition.  The small details escape me (thank God for the iPhone) but the main themes were exhaustion, deliriously going through the motions, extreme joy, & frustration.  Everything was exciting and new, even the babies poop would have made headlines in the newspaper if it were up to me!

Pre-mommyhood, I thought you had a baby, then life went back to normal.  I wasn't 100% prepared for how different life would become.  Things that pre-baby would take just a few minutes, post-baby took hours if I ever got around to it.  After a while, you learn to prioritize what is really necessary.  It's funny the things that get cut from your list of normal daily activities because now they are just too much work and too time consuming.

Ain't nobody got time for that!

As disgusting as this is, the first thing to get cut from my "to do" list was showering.  SERIOUSLY!  Dry shampoo anyone?!?!  Don't get me wrong.  I didn't boycott showers for months letting myself get all stinky, but they were definitely spaced out much farther than usual.  Showers really became  a luxury.  If I was able to get away for a few minutes, I took full advantage of the shower.  There were times I swear I even dozed off in there (don't worry, Steve was with Hudson).  Some days I just wanted to melt into my shower and hide out in there for hours.  Unfortunately, they always seemed to be cut short by my sweet husband informing me that the baby needed ____.

By the time you feed, burp, change, and bathe your new little love bug all you want to do is sleep.  Eating is something you do only if you have granola bars lying around the house or you have wonderful neighbors/family members/friends bringing you all sorts of food.  Now the food people want to bring is all wonderful delicious comfortt food.  Thus slowing the baby weight loosing process even more, but who cares?!?!?  Food is food is food is food!  Sitting down to actually eat a meal didn't happen until Hudson was a lot older.  Even now, I'm constantly distracted trying to get Hudson to eat, keep him from throwing his food or a fit, and picking things up off the floor.  Maybe someday soon we will all be able to gather around our table and ALL enjoy a meal together.  Having a little one defiantly forces you to learn to eat on the go!

Have you seen this?  Meal Train  It's a virtual signup sheet for friends and family to schedule to bring you food.  Check it out, its pretty cool. 

As long as the baby is clean, that's all that matters.  Who cares if you have spit up down the front of your husbands sweatshirt that you are still wearing because lets be honest, it's the only one that fits.  And who cares that there is a questionable stain looking a lot like the little present your baby made for you earlier in the day.  A little blot with a wet cloth and your good as new.  RIGHT???  Laundry is the last thing you want to be doing when you haven't had any sleep and have a beautiful bug screaming the song of his people all day long!  No Thank You!  And if you do get around to it (and your anything like me) clean clothes will stay in the dryer or laundry basket for....EVER.  Folding is way over rated!

If you are just feeling too overwhelmed, you can always contact a local laundry service.  Here is one that caters to Kentucky residents.  They will pick up the laundry from your home and deliver it to you once it is clean.  I believe they charge by the pound.  I haven't personally used them, but I know people who have and said it was pretty reasonable and they did a great job!  Had I known this was even an option the first time around I would have been all about it!  Maybe next time!  :)

Running out for a quick errand became a thing of the past.  When you have a baby, you must plan and pack for every possible "surprise".  A quick trip to the store turns into a packed car with extra diapers, wipes, clothes, pacifiers, milk because the baby will inevitably get hungry while you are out, blankets, hand sanitizer, and things to entertain your sleeping baby.  You also must try to time your outing for when your mini me will be in the best mood.  UGH Screw that!  Just have the hubs pick up whatever it was you were going to venture out for because you are just too exhausted thinking about it how you will have to figure out the cart/baby carrier thing....

You can just kiss your perfectly manicured nails good bye!  Unless you have the fastest manicurist in the world, you will just have to postpone your pampering for a few weeks or months out.  However, if you have some wonderful saint of a family member who is willing to cuddle your baby for a few hours, then RUN to your favorite salon!  Soak those little piggies as long as they will let you and try not to fall asleep as your hands and feet are being massaged into oblivian.

Let's talk about sleep.  O you might get some, but only for about 45 minute increments for the first three months of life.   haha  That is a bit of an exaggeration, and every baby is different, but that is what it sure felt like to me.  The only advice I can really give on sleep and rest is this:  Take your time getting back to your normal routine.  Try to relax and sleep when your little one allows it (SERIOUSLY)!  You might be sleeping during the day and up at night, but having a schedule that's off is a lot better than no sleep at all.  I think all the moms out there sympathize with you if you are in the sleepless phase.  Good Luck and God Speed!  You will make it!

Those are the biggies!  I know there is a whole slew of things I'm missing....  I swear my pregnancy brain never recovered!  Anyway, If I'm missing something feel free to add a comment with your experience.

Have no fear!  You will adapt to this new way of life and soon will be back to doing everything that you loved pre-baby.   I have heard the different phases of childhood development and life stages described as seasons.  If you think about it, "seasons" is a perfect term!  Just like seasons, each phase (the sleepless phase, the round the clock eating phase, the temper phase...) will eventually end and transition on to the next chapter.  If you are in a tough season, remember that it will pass.  If you are in a wonderful and enjoyable season right now, soak it up.  Enjoy it.  Try to remember everything about it, because too soon it will end and a new wonderful season will be here.  I swear, each season is wonderful in it's own right, and they just keep getting better and better!  :)

Congratulations! Now What?!?!

Congratulations, you have either made that most amazing transition to parenthood or your are about to.  If you are anything like me, I wanted to learn as much as humanly possible about babies before the little one arrived.  I found all sorts of "helpful" information about pregnancy and even birth, but there seemed to be very little information on what to do after you have your sweet little bundle of joy home with you.  That terrifying moment when you put down the carrier realizing that you are without the 24/7 help provided by the hospital, look around, and say "Now What"?  The information that was out there was all "rainbows and butterflies" or completely inaccurate!  Why didn't this little baby come with an instruction manual?

That's why I started this blog.  To help new parents with the "Now What Syndrome"!  Here I will try to share my experiences as well as product reviews.  Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and laugh with me along the way.  I encourage feedback, comments, ideas, and suggestions because lets face it, none of us really know what the heck we're doing!  We are just trying to make it one day at a time.

Nobody said being a parent would be easy, they just said it would be worth it.